Bifascia nigralbella

Bifascia nigralbella is a butterfly of the family of Chrysopeleiidae.

Features

The moths reach a wingspan of 7-9 millimeters. The head shimmering dark brown and has a reddish glow. The forehead ( frons ) shines white ocher. The antennae are gray-brown. Thorax and tegulae shining dark brown and have a slight reddish glow. The forewing shining dark brown. For casement drawing includes two distinct white napkins. The first is located at 1 /4 of the forewing length, it tapers abruptly at the Costa loader. The second is located at 2/ 3 of the forewing length, it is tapered at both the Costa loader as well as on the wing inner edge. The fringe scales are gray. The hind wings shining silvery white and are at the apex ocher more. The abdomen is gray ocher. In females it is brownish gray, they have a white tuft after.

In the male the uncus is very short, rounded and warty. The Tegumen is wide and tapers distally. It is membranous, only the broad dorsal stripe and the narrow margins are sclerotized. The Valven consist of two narrow, of equal length to praise, both of which are only sparsely covered with short hairs and a few very long bristles. The dorsal lobe is slightly spatulate, the ventral lobe tapers distally. The Vinculum is roundish. The aedeagus is long and bent at the center. He has an acute apex.

In females, the ostium is round and surrounded by a sclerotized ring with two short lateral protrusions. The ductus bursae is long. It is near the ostium very narrow and widens gradually toward Corpus bursae. The inner surface is covered with needles. The corpus bursae is egg-shaped and provided with two large, curved, horn-like signals.

The caterpillars are about seven millimeters long and thin. On the back they are yellow, the front part of the segments is striped in red. The Dorsalschild of Metathorakalsegments is red. The Torah calf A are long and black, the abdominal legs are also black.

Similar Species

Bifascoides leucomelanellus similar Bifascia nigralbella, the rear end of the abdomen but is yellowish white, the inner band on the fore wings is closer to the wing base and the hind wings are narrower.

Dissemination

Bifascia nigralbella is in Spain ( Almería), North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia) and the Middle East (Saudi Arabia) spread. In the east, the range extends to Pakistan and western India and Central Asia to Mongolia.

Biology

The caterpillars develop on Acacia (Acacia ) and Tamariskenarten ( Tamarix ) and eat in the flowers. A copy was found in a dry Tamariskenstamm. The moths fly in probably two generations from May to June and in September.

System

The type locality is in Biskra ( Algeria). There are known the following synonyms:

  • Ascalenia nigralbella Chrétien, 1915
  • Limnoecia asteroleuca Meyrick, 1917

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